Downloaded and tested the Meerkat V0.1.6 viewer this weekend. Despite the occasional crashes and inoperable extra features, I like what it has to offer.

Avatar List

Accessible via the “Meerkat” dropdown menu on the top bar, this little window tool gives some pretty handy features.

Shows all nearby avatars

Allows you to mark, track, get key, and instantly TP to avatars

Chat Bar as Command Line

Probably my favorite little extra. With it, you can set your own custom chat-based commands. The Teleport to camera position is great fun, however your mileage may vary. After I TP’d a few times, other avatars could not see me.

Visual Environmental Settings

This one is a immersive photographers dream. Via the Arrowed button at the bottom toolbar, you can pull up a rather lengthy list of environmental settings that change the way the world looks.

Make your region look ghostly…

…or all funky alien-like.

Again, your mileage may vary. I encountered several inventory locking quirks that I suspect have something to do with the viewer. It also crashed on me once when selecting one of the environmental presets. However, the neat extras make up for the early-version bugs. I won’t be using it for a business meeting or event yet, but for the fun experimenting times, it’s great. I’m definitely keeping my eye on this viewer. Visit the Meerkat development home to download and try it out yourself.